The alpine musk deer does not live in Europe’s Alps. But the species does make musk. It is musk’s use in incense, medicine, perfume, and soap that imperils Asia’s alpine musk deer.

The word alpine can indicate someone or something that specifically is associated with the Alps Mountain Range. Or it designates someone or something that generally is linked with high altitudes. For example, the red deer (Cervus elaphus) fits both descriptions, as an animal native to: • Europe’s Alps; • High elevations.

But only the context of lofty heights has any relevance for the alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster). It is a bit disappointing that the alpine musk deer cannot be found existing natively outside of Asia. All seven of Asia’s known moschid (moss-eating, musk-making deer) species lead endangered life cycles and natural histories because of the appeal to and profitability for modernists and traditionalists of their: • Flesh; • Fragrance; • Fur.

Alpine Musk Deer's homelands: Lhasa's storied landscapes ~

Potala Palace rises above old city of Lhasa.

Wildlife-loving amateurs and professionals access two main sets of names when identifying the world’s known fauna and flora. The common, non-scientific, popular or traditional designation assumes the form alpine musk deer for one of Asia’s high altitude-dwelling moschids. The Greco-Latin, scientific, taxonomic name becomes Moschus chrysogaster for the above-mentioned alpine musk deer. The latter term belongs within binomial (“two-name”) identification systems. But it also can be expanded to fit within trinomial (“three-name”) taxonomies. The expansion depends upon the formal description of an animal or plant in terms of:

Genus;

Species;

Subspecies.

Not all of the world’s taxonomized life forms get three names. For example, not all of Asia’s musk deer species have a further separation into subspecies.

Sagarmāthā National Park shares its northern international border with Qomolangma National Nature Preserve of Tibet Autonomous Region; both are included trans-boundary conservation area of Sacred Himalayan Landscape.

Alpine Musk Deer homelands' changing landscapes: Xining skyline

Xining, anciently important site on Central Asian trade routes, is now largest city on Tibetan Plateau.

Conclusion

Admiration for Asia’s musk deer species goes back to ancient times. Moschids historically have ecological and economic roles within Earth’s biomes and cultures. Their obligate environmentalism as food-suppliers, plant-pruners, and vegetation-propagators oftentimes is eclipsed by the profitable popularity of:

Exotic meat;

Musky incenses, medicines, perfumes, soaps;

Trophy dewclaws, hooves, tusks;

Warm furs.

But the science- and technology-savvy, wildlife-loving amateurs and professionals of the twenty-first century make manifest an intelligent willingness to tackle such extreme challenges as:

Globally-warmed climate change;

Habitat fragmentation;

Industrial pollution.

They represent the world’s first generations consistently instructed and practiced in environmental education, sciences, and studies in the classroom and the field. They therefore understand how to reconcile environmental, faunal, floral, and human well-being.